WWOR-TV
This article is about '''WWOR-TV' on channel 9 in New York. For the station in Worcester, Massachusetts which previously used that call sign, see [[WJZB-TV|'WJZB-TV']]. For the EMI service, see [[WWOR EMI Service|'WWOR EMI Service']].'' WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9, is a MyNetworkTV station in Secaucus, New Jersey, and serves New York. It used the Moog SSB from 1970 to 1975 and used a dramatic version of the SSB from 1980 to 1982. It telecasts Piston Cup races from 1949 to 1993, until it became PTEN, which was later called UPN, and is now called MyNetworkTV. History Early history Channel 9 signed on the air on October 11, 1949 as WOR-TV. It was owned by the Bamberger Broadcasting Service (a division of R. H. Macy and Company and named after the Bamberger's department store chain), which also operated WOR radio (710 AM) and WOR-FM (98.7, now WEPN-FM). Exactly ten months earlier, Bamberger launched Washington, D.C.'s fourth television station, WOIC, also on channel 9. WOR-TV entered the New York market as the last of the city's VHF stations to sign on, and one of three independents, the others being WPIX (channel 11) and Newark, New Jersey-based WATV (channel 13, later WNTA-TV). On WOR-TV's opening night, a welcome address was read by WOR radio's morning host, John B. Gambling. However, the audio portion of the speech was not heard because of a technical glitch. The problem was fixed and Gambling repeated the message later that evening, prior to the station's sign-off. That first broadcast and other early WOR-TV shows emanated from the New Amsterdam Roof Theatre, located west of Times Square. For a short time, the station's transmitter operated from WOR TV Tower in North Bergen, New Jersey and was later moved to the Empire State Building. In 1949, the station moved uptown to the newly constructed "9 Television Square" facility on West 67th Street (near the present-day location of WABC-TV's studios). At the start of 1950, Bamberger Broadcasting changed its name to General Teleradio. Later that year, WOIC was sold to a joint venture of the Washington Post and CBS, who would change that station's callsign to WTOP-TV (it is now WUSA). In 1953, WOR-TV began operating a separate studio for news and special events programming located on the 83rd floor of the Empire State Building. That first broadcast and other early WOR-TV shows emanated from the New Amsterdam Roof Theatre, located west of Times Square. For a short time, the station's transmitter operated from WOR TV Tower in North Bergen, New Jersey and was later moved to the Empire State Building. In 1949, the station moved uptown to the newly constructed "9 Television Square" facility on West 67th Street (near the present-day location of WABC-TV's studios). At the start of 1950, Bamberger Broadcasting changed its name to General Teleradio. Later that year, WOIC was sold to a joint venture of the Washington Post and CBS, who would change that station's callsign to WTOP-TV (it is now WUSA). In 1953, WOR-TV began operating a separate studio for news and special events programming located on the 83rd floor of the Empire State Building. In 1952, Macy's/Bamberger's merged the WOR stations with the General Tire and Rubber Company, which already had broadcasting interests in three cities through two other subsidiaries: the regional Yankee Radio Network and WNAC-AM–FM–TV in Boston; and the Don Lee Broadcasting System, which operated KHJ-AM–FM–TV in Los Angeles and KFRC-AM–FM in San Francisco. The subsidiaries were then brought together under the General Teleradio name. The main impetus for the merger was to give General Tire a controlling share in the Mutual Radio Network, which was affiliated with and partially owned by WOR and other stations. The merger also raised speculation that Mutual would launch a television network, plans that were discussed since before WOR-TV went on the air but ultimately did not come to fruition. Category:Television Stations Category:Trademarks Category:MyNetworkTV TV Stations Category:Article Stubs